Sharon Day of Fort Lauderdale -- who was re-elected on Friday to another term as co-chairman of the Republican National Committee -- is calling on the national party to “empower more messengers” to demonstrate its diversity.

“We’ve got a good product, we just need more messengers,” Day, the No 2 in the national party, said in an interview before the RNC’s winter meeting.

Sharon Day

“We need to make sure that people understand that we also are a diverse party. We have a lot of strong women leaders, not just women leaders who want to complain about what they are not getting or what somebody has done to them, but true leaders who have led communities and built their own businesses.”

Day’s selection along with Debbie Wasserman Schultz’ re-election on Monday as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee means that two South Florida women will have prominent roles in each of the major parties, a sign of Florida’s clout as the biggest swing state.

Both Day and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz of Weston will serve another two years.

Echoing post-election remarks by former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Day attributed President Barack Obama’s success in Florida and nationwide last year to promises he made to various voter groups.

“Obama was a unique brand,” she said, expressing relief that he will no longer be on any ballot.

“He played it very well to give this group that and give that group this,” she said. “And for Florida, we’re a microcosm of everything. And all his giveaways and promises – whether it be to minorities, whether it be to women, whether it be Hispanics, all the groups he played up to very well – that is Florida.”

“Whether he is going to deliver on those promises is another thing. But enough people believed it in Florida to go forward with it.”

Day said the party is analyzing what it did well and what needs improvement.

“We had a good ground game, but in Florida as well, we’re going to see what we can do better.”

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About the author

WILLIAM E. GIBSON, the Sun Sentinel’s Washington correspondent for 27 years, has covered seven presidential elections and 14 sessions of Congress, always with South Florida readers in mind.

Originally from the Kansas City area, he lived in New Mexico, New York and Fort Lauderdale before moving to Washington. Along the way, he studied journalism at the University of Kansas and Columbia University.